US5568753A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Screw driver with replaceable nose for collated screws
Assignee: Simpson Strong Tie Co Inc
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Filing: 1995-08-07
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Granted: 1996-10-29
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Expires: 2015-08-07
Abstract
Abstract This invention provides a driver attachment for a collated screwstrip in which a slide body is slidable in a housing parallel a longitudinal axis about which drive shaft is rotatable. The slide body has a rear portion and a removable nose portion. The housing and rear portion of the slide body form an integral part effectively permanently assembled and including a screw feed activation mechanism coupled between the housing and rear portion and which translates relative sliding movement and positioning of the rear portion of the slide body relative the housing. The nose portion is removable from the rear portion for ease of replacement with other nose portions adapted for use with the same or different sized screwstrips and/or screws. The nose portion includes a channel to guide a collated screwstrip generally transversely to the longitudinal axis of the drive shaft. The nose portion includes a guide mechanism to locate each successive screw advanced through the channel into axial alignment with the drive shaft for engagement therewith. The nose portion also includes a screw feed advance mechanism to advance the screwstrip through the channel when activated by the screw feed activation mechanism. The screw feed advance mechanism readily uncouples from and couples with the screw feed activation mechanism on uncoupling and coupling of the nose portion with the rear portion.
Inventors
- 👤 G. Lyle Habermehl
- 👤 Paul T. Scherer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 17:40
CPC Classifications
B; B25; B25B; B25B23/00; B25B23/02; B25B23/04; B25B23/045; F; F16; F16B; F16B27/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
343 words
An apparatus for driving with a power driver a screwstrip comprising threaded fasteners such as screws or the like, which are joined together in a strip comprising: housing means; elongate drive shaft means for operative connection to a power driver for rotation thereby and defining a longitudinal axis; slide body means coupled to the housing means for displacement parallel to the axis of the drive shaft means between an extended position and a retracted position; spring means biasing said body means forwardly relative to the housing means parallel the axis to the extended position; the slide body means having a rear portion and a forward nose portion, the nose portion removably coupled to the rear portion; the nose portion having: (a) guide channel means for said screwstrip extending through said nose portion, (b) guide means to locate successive of the screws advanced via the guide channel means to be axially in alignment with said drive shaft means for engagement in driving of the screws from the guide means by the drive shaft means, and (c) screw feed advance means carried by the nose portion to engage the screwstrip and successively, incrementally advance screws on the screwstrip through the guide channel means, screw feed activation means coupled between the rear portion of the slide body means and the housing means and, when the nose portion is coupled to the rear portion, rearwardly coupling with the screw feed advance means whereby displacement of the slide body means relative the housing means between the extended position and the retracted position activates the screw feed activation means to move the screw feed advance means and thereby advance successive screws; wherein the nose portion removably couples to and is removable from the rear portion for replacement with other nose portions adapted to receive the same or different sized screwstrips and/or screws; and wherein on the nose portion coupling to or being removed from coupling with the rear portion, the screw feed advance means correspondingly removably coupling to or being removed from coupling with the screw feed activation means.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
343 words
An apparatus for driving with a power driver a screwstrip comprising threaded fasteners such as screws or the like, which are joined together in a strip comprising: housing means; elongate drive shaft means for operative connection to a power driver for rotation thereby and defining a longitudinal axis; slide body means coupled to the housing means for displacement parallel to the axis of the drive shaft means between an extended position and a retracted position; spring means biasing said body means forwardly relative to the housing means parallel the axis to the extended position; the slide body means having a rear portion and a forward nose portion, the nose portion removably coupled to the rear portion; the nose portion having: (a) guide channel means for said screwstrip extending through said nose portion, (b) guide means to locate successive of the screws advanced via the guide channel means to be axially in alignment with said drive shaft means for engagement in driving of the screws from the guide means by the drive shaft means, and (c) screw feed advance means carried by the nose portion to engage the screwstrip and successively, incrementally advance screws on the screwstrip through the guide channel means, screw feed activation means coupled between the rear portion of the slide body means and the housing means and, when the nose portion is coupled to the rear portion, rearwardly coupling with the screw feed advance means whereby displacement of the slide body means relative the housing means between the extended position and the retracted position activates the screw feed activation means to move the screw feed advance means and thereby advance successive screws; wherein the nose portion removably couples to and is removable from the rear portion for replacement with other nose portions adapted to receive the same or different sized screwstrips and/or screws; and wherein on the nose portion coupling to or being removed from coupling with the rear portion, the screw feed advance means correspondingly removably coupling to or being removed from coupling with the screw feed activation means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
An apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein the nose portion couples to and is removable from the rear portion by relative movement parallel the longitudinal axis.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the nose portion couples to and is removable from the rear portion by manual manipulation without tools.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the nose portion couples to the rear portion in a friction fit relation permitting removal by the manual application of forces.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein the nose portion is keyed to the rear portion against relative rotation about the longitudinal axis.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
34 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the screw feed activation means comprises: cam surfaces on the housing means, and cam follower means carried by the rear portion of the slide body means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
84 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein the screw feed activation means comprises: lever means pivotally mounted to the rear portion of the slide body means for pivoting about a pivot axis, the lever means having a forward arm extending forwardly to releasably couple with the screw feed advance means, the lever means coupled to the cam follower means whereby relative displacement of the housing means and the slide body means translates into relative pivoting of the forward arm about the pivot axis.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
31 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein the screw feed advance means comprises a shuttle secured to the nose portion for reciprocal movement towards and away from the longitudinal axis.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
54 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein: the forward arm of the lever means has a front end, the shuttle has a rearwardly directed opening, the lever means releasably coupling to the shuttle by the front end of the forward arm of the lever means being received in the opening of the shuttle.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
36 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein the shuttle is slidable relative the nose portion in a direction parallel the guide channel means, and generally normal to both the longitudinal axis and the pivot axis.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein the shuttle carries pawl means to engage and advance the screwstrip in sliding of the shuttle towards the longitudinal axis.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
57 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein: the guide channel means comprises a straight channel with a cross-section closely corresponding at least in part to that of the screwstrip received therein to constrain the strip and screws received therein against substantial movement other than parallel the channel, the channel extending generally transverse to the longitudinal axis.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
88 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the guide means comprises guide tube means coaxially about the axis of the drive shaft means adapted to receive correspondingly sized screws, the guide tube means comprising a cylindrical screw guideway of an inner diameter marginally greater than a diameter of a head of the correspondingly sized screws, the guide tube means having a screw locating sidewall about the screw guideway to engage the head of a screw and coaxially locate the screw in alignment with the drive shaft means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
55 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 13 wherein the guide channel means opens radially into the screw guideway via a screw access opening in the screw locating sidewall and exits radially from the guideway via a strip exit opening in the screw locating sidewall on a side of the guideway opposite the screw access opening.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
67 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 14 wherein the guide tube means includes rearward of the screw guideway a cylindrical shaft guideway of an inner diameter marginally greater than a diameter of the drive shaft means, the guide tube means having a journal ling sidewall about the shaft guideway to engage the drive shaft means and coaxially locate the drive shaft means within the guide tube means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
23 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein the diameter of the screw guideway is greater than the diameter of the shaft guideway.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
55 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said rear portion of the slide body means has a forwardly opening bore about said drive shaft means, the bore having a forward open end; said nose portion including a hollow tubular extension removable and insertable axially into the bore via the forward end of the bore.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
34 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein the drive shaft means comprises an elongate mandrel with bit means removably secured to the forward end thereof and wherein the shaft guideway engages the mandrel.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
39 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the nose portion is removable and insertable without uncoupling of the nose portion of the body means relative the housing means, spring means, power drive means and screw feed activation means.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
29 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the nose portion is removable from and couples to the rear portion without uncoupling of any remaining elements of the apparatus.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
35 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein the lever means having a rear arm extending rearwardly to a rear end with the cam follower means carried on the rear end of the rear arm.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
61 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein: the spring means is disposed between the housing means and the rear portion of the body means, coaxially about the longitudinal axis, the apparatus including stop means retaining the rear portion coupled to the housing means against movement under the bias of the spring means from the retracted position to the extended position.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
52 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein the shuttle is reciprocally movable between an advanced and a retracted position, pawl means carried by the shuttle to engage the screwstrip to advance the screwstrip within the guide channel means on movement of the shuttle from the retracted position to the advanced position.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
360 words
An apparatus for driving with a power driver threaded fasteners such as screws or the like, which are joined together in a screwstrip comprising: housing means, elongate drive shaft means for operative connection to a power driver for rotation thereby and defining a longitudinal axis, slide body means coupled to the housing means for displacement parallel to the axis of the drive shaft means between an extended position and a retracted position, spring means biasing said body means forwardly relative to the housing means parallel the axis to the extended position, the slide body means having a rear portion and a nose portion removably coupled to the rear portion, the nose portion having: (a) a guide channel for said screwstrip extending through said nose portion generally transversely to the longitudinal axis to constrain the screwstrip received therein against substantial movement other than parallel the channel, (b) guide means coaxially about the axis of the drive shaft means adapted to receive correspondingly sized screws when advanced therein via the guide channel means and to locate the screws axially in alignment with said drive shaft means for engagement in driving of the screws from the guide tube means by the drive shaft means, and (c) screw feed advance means for reciprocal movement relative the nose portion to engage the screwstrip and successively, incrementally advance screws in the screwstrip through the guide channel into the guide means, screw feed activation means secured to the rear portion and removably coupled to the advance means when the nose portion is coupled to the rear portion, the screw feed activation means coupled between the rear portion of the slide body means and the housing means whereby displacement of the slide body means relative the housing means between the extended position and the retracted position results in the screw feed activation means reciprocally moving the screw feed advance means to advance successive screws, the nose portion removably couples to and is removable from the rear portion and the screw feed activation means for replacement with other nose portions adapted to receive the same or different screwstrips and/or screws without uncoupling of any remaining elements of the apparatus.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
360 words
An apparatus for driving with a power driver threaded fasteners such as screws or the like, which are joined together in a screwstrip comprising: housing means, elongate drive shaft means for operative connection to a power driver for rotation thereby and defining a longitudinal axis, slide body means coupled to the housing means for displacement parallel to the axis of the drive shaft means between an extended position and a retracted position, spring means biasing said body means forwardly relative to the housing means parallel the axis to the extended position, the slide body means having a rear portion and a nose portion removably coupled to the rear portion, the nose portion having: (a) a guide channel for said screwstrip extending through said nose portion generally transversely to the longitudinal axis to constrain the screwstrip received therein against substantial movement other than parallel the channel, (b) guide means coaxially about the axis of the drive shaft means adapted to receive correspondingly sized screws when advanced therein via the guide channel means and to locate the screws axially in alignment with said drive shaft means for engagement in driving of the screws from the guide tube means by the drive shaft means, and (c) screw feed advance means for reciprocal movement relative the nose portion to engage the screwstrip and successively, incrementally advance screws in the screwstrip through the guide channel into the guide means, screw feed activation means secured to the rear portion and removably coupled to the advance means when the nose portion is coupled to the rear portion, the screw feed activation means coupled between the rear portion of the slide body means and the housing means whereby displacement of the slide body means relative the housing means between the extended position and the retracted position results in the screw feed activation means reciprocally moving the screw feed advance means to advance successive screws, the nose portion removably couples to and is removable from the rear portion and the screw feed activation means for replacement with other nose portions adapted to receive the same or different screwstrips and/or screws without uncoupling of any remaining elements of the apparatus.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1999-10-29 | 2000-04-29 | 2000-10-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2003-10-29 | 2004-04-29 | 2004-10-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2007-10-29 | 2008-04-29 | 2008-10-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |